LA Philharmonic Presents Symphony Composed with Apogee Ensemble

On March 12, the LA Philharmonic performed the first of four movements composed by Felix Brenner using Apogee Electronics’ Ensemble FireWire interface. The concert took place at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Brenner, known for his score to the award-winning short film The Death of Salvador Dali, premiered his work alongside the French trio Las Ondas Marteles and Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Jorge Drexler.

For his first full-length symphony, Brenner drew inspiration from the Salvador Dali film and credits it for being the source of the symphony’s themes. He used the Ensemble during his travels throughout South America, Cuba and Mexico, where he composed the beginning stages of his first movement, the rest of which he finished at his home studio in Los Angeles upon his return.

“I wrote many of the themes while on the road, but the first movement as a whole was composed at home entirely with the Ensemble. I am currently in the process of completing the next three movements,” Brenner says.

“When it came time to orchestrate, expand and develop the themes from the Dali short into a classic four-movement symphonic form, I knew I needed to make a major upgrade to my system to realize the full depth of the orchestra," Brenner continues. "Apogee was my first choice and the Ensemble's simple interface and stellar sound quality fit the bill perfectly. With the many sections and huge dynamic range of the orchestra, being able to hear the nuances and character of each individual instrument is paramount. With the Ensemble, I am able to place myself inside the orchestra as if I were in the conductor's position.”